


Life is Beginning

by Aloys_Arrow



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, F/F, Game Spoilers, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-02
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-04-29 12:10:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5127113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aloys_Arrow/pseuds/Aloys_Arrow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the tornado wreaked havoc on Arcadia Bay, Max and Chloe begin their lives anew. (Story in progress, continuously updated.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Breaking the Storm

**A/N: I fell in love pretty quickly with LiS so I decided to try writing some fics for it. I want to make this story as long as possible and see where it ends up taking me. Please keep in mind this story DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS for Episode 5 so if I you haven't played it yet or don't want the ending ruined, this is not the fic you're looking for. With that said, thank you for reading it and I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

The tornado continued to rage on as Max and Chloe stood motionless in front of the lighthouse, neither speaking, both looking solemnly off into the distance as the storm edged closer and closer to Arcadia Bay. It was a swirling mass of chaos and corruption and all things wrong with Mother Nature combined into one giant torrent of destruction. Monday had seemed so long ago, only four days prior, but to Max, it had felt like a lifetime, a dream, an entirely different reality. Max Caulfield would never be the same, her sense of morality was forever clouded. She grabbed Chloe's hand as if making sure she was still there beside her. The decision had been instantaneous, she couldn't live without Chloe. Yet the more she thought of the torn photograph now swirling somewhere far off into the storm, she wondered if she'd ever be able to forgive herself for what she had done to the Bay and its people. She made the right decision, right?

Chloe gently squeezed her hand, her eyebrows furrowed in disbelief at the spectacle before her. Max could feel her tense as the storm made contact. What was she thinking about? Her mother no doubt, the diner, the impossible events that had all transpired just moments before. Max knew then and there that Chloe would be forever changed too, but she wondered deep down if she'd always hold a resentment for choosing her over the lives of countless people, her family included. Max looked in her direction, her heart dropping into her stomach. She thought of Joyce, her classmates, some of whom she'd grown to like, and even Frank for a brief moment. She thought of David hoping he was still hunkered underground. All the lives she encountered, the friendships she forged, the memories she shared in this town when she was younger were being torn apart before her eyes. And yet, she couldn't tear herself away.

Chloe always hated this town and always wanted to escape to somewhere where the sun always shined and the weather was always warm. Like California, ha.  _"If Rachel were still alive, is that where she'd be right now? Would I even be in her life?"_

Chloe held her tight as the rain continued to pelt them in a downpour and the wind continued to howl angrily around them, her arms wrapped protectively around her while Max closed her eyes and breathed in Chloe's familiar scent. The storm seemed to last for hours, though only mere minutes had passed by. And then like a flame, it was extinguished; gone without a trace with only its wreckage left behind. Chloe looked out toward the Bay and saw nothing but ruin. Buildings that had once stood tall were now nothing more than piles of brick and mortar and splintered wood. She looked instinctively for her mother's diner and spotted the infamous sign thrown sideways against an overturned car.  _"Fuck."_  The ocean seemed surprisingly calm and she could see pieces of what used to be a dock floating amidst its shallow waves. Even the air itself seemed lighter, like a great cloak had been lifted from the world and only Chloe and Max were left behind. The sky that had once been a deep red, full of terror and rage, was now just a dull gray; here and there an occasional splotch of blue. It was doubtful anyone in the town had survived the onslaught, but Chloe still held hope.

Her clothes were caked in mud and her jeans were even more torn but she was alive. It took five days for the storm to arrive and moments for it to leave, hours felt like days and time seemed to completely stand still. Despite all they had been through, all the horrible memories they were forced to share, they still had each other. They were still here and they were still alive.

Chloe loosened her grip and shook her lightly pointing out over the horizon as Max lifted her head.

"Max, it's okay. It's over. It's finally over."

Max looked out past the lighthouse that had been their shelter, more than that, their only refuge and saw that what Chloe said was true. The storm was gone, the dark had lifted and there was light once again. With light came hope and with hope came renewal.

"Chloe…" Max began softly, unsure if she should proceed. Chloe reassured her thoughts and cast her eyes to Max, eyes full of sadness but also understanding.

"It's okay, Max."

"Chloe…I"

"I know. I would have done the same."

Max eyed her incredulously.  _"She would have done the same?"_

"Max, after all the fucked up shit you went through just to save  _me_ , I have no room to judge you on anything" she continued, grabbing her by the shoulders. "I…fuck" she stammered, looking once more to the ground, embarrassed, her hands still gripping Max's arms.

Max gently took her face her in her hands, bringing their eyes to meet once more as she caressed Chloe's cheek with her thumbs.

" _Say it Max, just say it. Fucking say it. You've waited this long, you know it's true. Arcadia is being destroyed, you screwed up time, this could be your last chance."_

"Chloe…"

Chloe continued to stare at her silently, never taking her eyes off hers. She swallowed.

"Chloe, I"

" _For fuck's sake, Caulfield."_

"Chloe, I love you. I love you so much, that's why I did everything I did and I'd do it all again if it meant being with you."

Chloe's eyes widened, her mouth now slightly agape, her heart pounding out of her chest. But just as quickly, she regained her composure and rather than let Max see how nervous and overwhelmingly happy she was, she grabbed her by the waist, "Fucking took you long enough", she smirked and pulled her in for a kiss. Her lips tasted sweeter than the first time they had met in her room. Chloe had admitted to herself that that moment had been much more than just a silly dare. She had always loved Max despite the distance and the turmoil with her family and even when she had nearly lost herself in rebellion; Max was never from her mind. One day she would tell her that, but for now, she just wanted to enjoy her.

Max ran her fingers through Chloe's hair, the top still purple from their adventure in the Blackwell pool and her hands stroked the back of her neck as Chloe continued to kiss her deeper. She didn't want her to stop…she never wanted her to stop. Chloe nibbled on her lower lip, sucking it between her teeth causing Max to let out a breath. Max's fingers tensed and her nails scraped deeper into Chloe's neck. Chloe's hands found her back as she pulled Max in even closer. The gentle scent of sweat filtered through her nose along with a mixture of rain and smoke but it wasn't unpleasant. In fact, Chloe found it rather enthralling. Max kissed her one final time, her lips wrapping around Chloe's, then carefully pulled them away as she looked into Chloe's eyes.

"Wowser…" she breathed with a smile.

"Such a nerd" Chloe chuckled, shaking her head.

"That was…"

"'Wowser?'" she playfully mocked.

"Incredible" Max decided.

They stared at each other for what seemed like hours held in each other's arms. Max couldn't take her eyes off her, the smoothness of her skin, the gentle blueness of her eyes, the way her lip curled up at the corner when she gave that infamous yet beautiful smirk. Max loved everything about her, from her blue hair to her tattoos, to her rebellious attitude. She was perfect to her and she wanted nothing more than to snatch her up and stay with her forever in this moment.

Chloe's demeanor changed, her smiled faded into a frown and her eyes grew more solemn.  _"Did I screw this up? Was it too soon? Is she having second thoughts? Dammit, Max"_

"Max, can I ask you something?" she asked quietly.

"Anything."

"Did you really see my dad again?" Chloe asked. Her smile dropped and she grew serious once more. There was an air of hopefulness about her, one that said she wanted information but was afraid to know the truth. Her face was gentle and she didn't appear tense, but Max knew that her stomach was in knots and she was just trying to remain calm.

Max took a deep breath and sighed, nodding.

Chloe swallowed and for a few seconds looked away before asking "Was he…was he okay?"

"He was more than okay. He was smiling and laughing and we were 12 again. It was surreal. I tried to save him, Chloe. I…I know how much he meant to you and I wanted so badly for you to be together again. I swear, I didn't know what would happen."

"Max, tell me."

"I don't know if I can. What happened, what I did…what I  _would_  have done to you, I'm so sorry Chloe", her voiced trembled.

Chloe grabbed her by the shoulders again, "Max, please. I  _need_  to know."

Max paused then wiped her eyes from the incoming tears. She didn't want to cause Chloe any more pain and she knew she wouldn't be able to protect her from the truth forever. At some point, she would want to know. It just so happened that moment was now. She took a deep breath and then began.

"I hid his keys. I hid them so he'd have to take the bus instead. I kept him from the accident but it took someone else in his place. It took you, Chloe. You were…paralyzed. Your room was practically a hospital and your parents were in debt from all the medical bills. You felt so guilty. We spent the day together and I fell asleep beside you, watching a movie. Then…you asked me to…to…"

Max slumped to the ground and Chloe slumped with her. Chloe saw tears in her eyes and she gently wiped them away. "I asked you to what?"

"To end your suffering. Doctors said you didn't have much time left but I couldn't do it, Chloe. You wanted me to so badly, but I just couldn't. It doesn't matter if it was in a different reality, you were still Chloe, and you were still  _you_."

Chloe looked lost, her mouth agape. It was hard to imagine herself as anything other than well…her.  _"Paralyzed? I was fucking paralyzed? I was…dying?"_

"William was so supportive of you. He and Joyce both worked so hard so you could be comfortable. He was still his old self despite everything and he still loved you more than ever, they both did."

"Oh, Max. I'm so sorry. You know I'd never ask you to do something like that. I'm sorry I put you in that position. I promise you I never will again. You protected me, now it's my turn to do the same. I'll never let anything hurt you. You hear me?"

" _Because I love you too, Max Caulfield."_

Max fell into her arms, her head nestled against Chloe's rain soaked chest. She already felt safer and Chloe…well, Chloe didn't really know what to feel. Part of her wished she could have been the one to save her dad, but another part knew she and Max would never be where they are now if she had. Her father was meant to die that day and no amount of time travel could fix that without causing serious repercussions. It was time to let go. He was happy and full of life and he loved her. That was enough.

"People might still be alive, Chloe. They could have found shelter and ridden out the storm. Your mom is down there, we have to look for her."

"Yeah, we do. I'm just afraid of what I might find. But, I'm not leaving her. We have to find her, Max."

Max lightly touched her arm, "We will. I promise we will."

* * *

The trek down to town proved to be a little more than cumbersome. There were several times Max had to be helped up from tripping on a stray tree limb or getting tangled in the countless amount of debris that had fluttered up from the Bay. Max was always the clumsier of the two.

It took nearly 20 minutes to get from the top of the lighthouse to the bottom of the path. The highway that once lead into town was now cracked in several places; pieces of cement ripped from the ground to come lay a few feet away. The cars unfortunate enough to have been parked on said highway were all overturned, some crushed beneath fallen trees, and others tangled up in telephone wires. The glass from several of them littered the ground casting an iridescent sheen as the pieces caught what little sunlight was trying to peek through.

Chloe kicked at a stray rock and sighed. It bounced off the hubcap of a busted car and landed with a  _clang_  in front of the tire. Save for that, the town was completely silent. No birds chirped, no rats scurried about, no life made itself known save for a bright blue butterfly that landed gently on the upturned sign of the Two Whales Diner.

Chloe stared in disbelief. The sign was no longer lit, not that she expected it to be, but it was also completely intact despite everything that had been destroyed around it. The door to the diner was caved in, blocked off from falling brick from the surrounding buildings. Chloe noticed a hole in the top where the roof had sunken in and without hesitation or warning darted towards it. "Mom!" she cried.

Max quickly followed behind her, scrambling up to the roof from fallen cars.

"Chloe, be careful!"

"Fuck careful!"

Chloe jumped through, landing roughly on her side as her foot caught a stray wire on the way down. The inside of the diner was more intact than she would have believed, but not enough to ever be functional again.

"Mom!" she yelled again, wincing from pain as she stood up. Max fell in behind her, moving pieces of wood and debris out of the way as she struggled to maneuver through the mess. Joyce hadn't been the only one to hole up here. Max also left Warren, Frank and Pompidou behind. She could feel her stomach tying in knots at the silence that emanated from around them. It was hard to believe she had seen and talked to all of them only moments before and now…there was nothing left.

"Mom, answer me!" Chloe screamed, her voice beginning to crack.

Silence.

Suddenly Max heard a whimper from under an overturned table and worked her way towards the sound. Crouching down, she saw Pompidou. His hind leg was caught under a piece of wood but he otherwise looked alive and intact. Frank lay beside him, his eyes closed.

"Chloe, help me" Max called as she began to pry the wood from the dog's leg. He let out a cry of relief and wriggled free, limping out as Chloe grabbed Frank by the arms and dragged him out onto the floor.

"Is he…?"

Chloe pressed an ear to his chest. "He's just unconscious, lucky bastard" she answered, rolling her eyes.

"Frank?" Max called, trying in vain to shake him awake. "Frank!"

Chloe shooed her hands off of him and knelt down beside him. She reared back and slapped him hard across the face.

" _Fucking_  hell" he snapped, rubbing the side of his face. "Chloe, Max?" he asked, once he came to.

"Where's my mom, Frank?"

"Joyce? She…was behind the counter when the roof caved in. I don't remember much of what happened, half of it fell on top of me…knocked me out." He groaned, rubbing the back of his head as he began to sit up.

Before he could continue, Chloe bolted behind the counter, tossing up pieces of wood and fallen shingles. She cut her hands on the shattered glassware as she continued to dig deeper. Max began working from the opposite side. Chloe grew more frantic.

"MOM!" she cried. Max crawled beside her, noticing tears beginning to form on Chloe's face as she dug deeper and deeper and finally found her mother's frail and lifeless body.

"Oh no…"

"Mom, please" she trembled, cradling her in her lap. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time, I'm sorry I was so hard to deal with, I'm sorry I put you through all my shit. You didn't deserve it. I was angry and I took it out on you and I shouldn't have. I'm sorry, Mom. I'm so, so sorry. Please forgive me." she sobbed, the tears continuing to stream down her dirt stained face as she pressed her forehead to Joyce's.

Max held her close, wrapping her arms tightly around her and laid her cheek against Chloe's back. She wanted to cry along with her, but she had to be strong for the both of them. Joyce's face was battered and bruised and her eyes were peacefully shut. She would have looked like she had only been sleeping if it hadn't been for the marks on her body. She was slightly bleeding from the nose and her hands, now resting on her stomach were deeply scratched. Chloe was inconsolable. Max had never seen her so upset, not since the day her dad passed away.

"She deserved a better daughter than me" she cried, struggling to form the words.

"No, Chloe. You were just angry, she knew you loved her" Max soothed.

"It wasn't enough, Max. I should have  _told_ her. I should have…" she broke down, unable to speak. Max could only continue to hold her tight as she struggled to catch her breath.  _"I've lost my dad, I've lost Rachel, now I've lost my mom? So help me, Max, if I lose you too…"_

"It should have been me, Max."

"Don't say that, you know that's not true. Joyce would be in your position now."

"I'm not blaming you, Max, I just-"

"Chloe…" a voice said groggily.

Chloe looked down and saw her mother staring up at her.

"Mom?" she breathed.

Joyce wiped the tears from her daughter's face. "Chloe, is that you?"

"I'm here, mom. I'm sorry…I'm sorry for everything."

She carefully sat up and pulled Chloe into her chest, cradling the back of her head.

"Oh, honey. It's alright."

"I love you, mom"

"I love you too, Chloe" she smiled, running her fingers through her hair.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Joyce" said Max, hugging her tenderly.

"So am I. When the roof fell in, it all went black. I was so worried about the both of you, I had hoped you were okay. Now I see that you were. Course, I should have known you'd take care of each other. You always have" she smiled. "Where exactly did you both go?"

"We stayed at the lighthouse" answered Max.

"You were out in the open?" she gasped.

"We were far away from the worst of it. We watched it hit the town, it was horrible" Max grimaced.

"You poor things."

Joyce looked around the diner, her face dropping when she saw it in shambles. Noticing he wasn't there, Joyce looked back to Max and Chloe and quietly asked, "Have you seen David?"

Chloe looked to Max and Max looked back. She was the last to have contact with him and she remembered everything so vividly. Jefferson tying her to the chair in the dark room attempting to inject her with that fatal dose, David bursting through the door and knocking him unconscious. Had it not been for David, Max would be dead and everyone else along with her. It was then and there that Max discovered David really _did_  love his family, she could feel his heart breaking when she was forced to tell him the truth of Chloe's fate, she could see the anguish and guilt and more than anything, regret painted on his face as he looked at his stepdaughter's killer and shot him in the head. He stayed there, waiting for the police while Max made her escape. That was the last she saw of him and that was an entirely different reality, a different David, a different Max.

"I'm sure he's okay, Joyce" she hesitated, "He's tough, he knows how to look after himself."

Joyce nodded, unsure of what to say. Max hoped when they found each other, she'd give him a second chance. He wasn't such a bad guy, a little headstrong, but who wasn't when they were protecting the ones they loved?

"Can you stand, Mom?" Chloe asked, a worried look on her face. Max loved that look, it was the same one she had given her the first time Max experienced the vision of the storm. It was odd seeing her so concerned over her mother. She never questioned Chloe's love for her, but being so used to seeing the two of them argue and bicker with each other, it was a nice change. She tried so many times to get her to be amicable with Joyce, but Chloe was stubborn with a mind of her own. Now however, she was like the blonde haired twelve year old she so strongly remembered from their youth. She looked so…innocent.

"I think so" said Joyce, an arm around Chloe's shoulder. She flinched as she and Max helped her up. "I think my ribs are broken" she winced.

"Let's sit her down in a booth" said Max. Chloe nodded.

They lowered her down as gently as they could. Frank sat across from her, Pompidou lying beside him with his head in his lap.

"You okay, Joyce?" he asked, his voice hiding some concern.

"I'm alive, that's well enough."

"Mom, we need to get you to a doctor."

Joyce smiled warmly at her daughter's worry. "All in due time."

"No, not in due time. Now. I'll get my truck and we can go."

"Chloe, Chloe, relax. Let me catch my breath for a bit."

"Wasn't there another kid in here?" asked Frank. "Lanky guy, shaggy hair?"

"Warren?" Max asked.

"Yeah, that was his name."

" _Shit, I had completely forgotten about Warren."_

"He was with me by the counter" said Joyce "I didn't see him when I went down."

Chloe looked nonchalantly toward the pile of debris and then at Max. She gave Max a look that said  _"Fine, go look if you must, but don't ask me to join you."_  She knew how Chloe felt about Warren, especially when Warren had grown interested in her. She didn't think Chloe would actually  _wish_ for him to die, she thought he was a decent person and appreciated the fact he had taken the hit from Nathan, but that didn't mean she liked him anymore than that. Chloe was the jealous type.

Max edged back toward the counter while Chloe tended to her mother. She peered over the side at the hole that Joyce had been buried in only moments before. It was scary, the sight of her body. She was so used to seeing Joyce so full of life and then to see her without it…it was awful. The other half of the diner was completely blocked off. The roof had practically covered the space from the bathrooms to the front door. There was no way anyone would have survived the impact and there was no way to move the rubble out of the way. It was packed in too tightly.

"Warren?" Max called. "Can you hear me?"

Nothing.

"Warren?"

Silence.

Though Max never had mutual feelings for Warren, she still considered him a friend. She still wanted him to be okay, to be alive.

" _Please be alive."_

"I'm gonna take a look outside" said Max to the others.

"Be careful, honey" answered Joyce, "No telling what's out there, and don't want you falling and getting hurt."

"Hang on Max and I'll come with you" said Chloe.

"No, it's okay. Be with your mom, Chloe. I've got this" she smiled.

Chloe nodded dejectedly.

* * *

It took a bit of effort but Max managed to pry open the back door. The sun was still trying to peek through, but the rain had stopped and the air didn't seem quite as eerie. Out of curiosity, Max made her way to the back of the diner to the small spot the old homeless woman used to stay.  _"I wish I had asked her name."_ Max thought when she found the old shelter empty. The fence that used to keep the garbage was no longer intact, the tornado had picked it up and slung it into the street as a child would a teddy bear. Max's shoes crunched as she walked over broken glass and plastic and here and there an occasional leaf or tree branch.

Suddenly Max heard rustling behind two fallen trees. The leaves on them shook as a figured emerged, haggard and dirty but otherwise unharmed save for a few scratches. It was the old woman.

"You" said Max, "Are you alright?"

"Ahh, I remember you. Max isn't it?" she asked, her eyes gleaming in that old familiar way.

"That's right."

"Guess you were right, there was definitely a storm. Worst one I've seen in nearly three decades. Thanks for the warning."

"Uh, no problem. How did you survive?" Max replied, running her fingers through the back of her hair.

"I have my ways" she winked, "I'm guessing you didn't come out here looking for me, was just coming out to see the damage. What can I do for you?"

"I was looking for a friend of mine."

"The young man?"

"Yes. His name is Warren. You haven't seen him have you?"

"Not since he ran out after you."

"He ran out after me? That's impossible, I-"she stopped short. How could she tell this woman that she was essentially a time traveler and used pictures as a passageway between alternate realities? That wasn't something you normally told to strangers. But the old woman simply cocked her head and smiled, wisdom hidden in those grey eyes as if she already knew.

"Who are you?" Max asked carefully.

"I've had many names in my lifetime. But, most know me as Jane Doe."


	2. Jane Doe

Max eyed the old woman suspiciously but she merely stood there and blinked, seemingly amused. She crossed her arms and grinned a gentle yet all knowing smile.

 _"What does she know?"_ Max wondered, her eyebrows furrowing.  _"Did her eyes just change color?"_

"I know what you are, Max."

Max paused,"A photographer?" she asked casually.

"You don't have to pretend" she chuckled, taking a careful step forward.

"I  _am_ a photographer" she shrugged, trying to sound obvious.

"And a good one" she affirmed, "but that's not what I'm referring to."

Max wondered if she should just bite and take the bait but it was too crazy a situation for her to actually believe that this Jane Doe was thinking what she was.

"I'm just me, just Max."

"Just Max?"

Max nodded.

"Well, 'just Max', you have a gift. So let me ask you: how did it feel traveling through time?"

Max gasped, startled and took a step back, "How did you-?"

The old woman patiently mused at the young brunette. She remembered when she used to be that age, so young and full of life with what seemed like a surprise at every turn. It seemed so long ago.

"I was able to do it too. Not exactly in the same way, but very similar. A choice was made for me, a very difficult choice and I was lost that day, along with everything else."

Max looked to the ground, her eyes wide with exhilaration and then back to the woman who was still eyeing her shyly. She took a breath and sat down, clearing a spot of pavement from leaves and garbage and pulled her knees to her chest. Jane sat down beside her, a little more relaxed.

"Why me?" Max faintly asked, "What made me so special?"

"You have a compassion and kindness in you that most people lack, Max. Some would use this gift for their own selfish gains, but you used it to save lives and make the world just a tiny bit better."

"You said you hadn't seen a storm this bad since thirty years ago...was that your storm?"

"It was not mine, but someone I cared about." Jane nodded, "Time creates ripples when it's disrupted, it can't function unnaturally but it  _can_  create unnatural disasters. He traveled through several realities trying to protect me from myself, trying to change my destiny but he was unable to. I finally realized the importance of his gift and through all those alternate realities, I finally found him and pulled him free as Chloe did to you.

But he was...changed, not himself. He forgot who he was, he was twisted and angry, full of rage and torment. He had hurt so many people. The storm he created took me from him and the last picture he had was lost; destroyed in the process."

"When the time came to choose, he did not choose me. He faced the storm without me, watched the town we grew up in be completely destroyed, the people we loved killed in the aftermath. He was so young and naive, he had no one to guide him or show him  _how_ to use his gift. He used it improperly, selfishly, and lost everything as a result. I couldn't sit by and watch you go through the same thing."

"I don't understand. I did the same as him, I wanted to save Chloe. I chose her over Arcadia, how is that unselfish?"

"Ah, but saving Chloe wasn't what you first set out to do" she replied clinically, raising a finger, "You set out to stop the storm."

"But in the bathroom-" she started,

"In the bathroom, the girl you wanted so desperately to save was not yet known to you as Chloe. At the time, she was just another girl and even knowing that you used your gift selflessly to keep her alive."

"How do you know all this?" she gaped.

"I've always been with you, Max. You merely saw me as what you needed most in each reality. I stayed with you to remind you of who you really are, to keep you from losing yourself to what was going on around you and inside you. The mind can be a very dangerous thing when tampered with but it can also show you what you desperately need to see."

Max stared at her, confused. Expecting this, Jane continued.

"Do you remember the little blue jay you saved in Chloe's home?"

Max nodded.

"Why did you save it?"

"I felt guilty in letting it die when I could do something."

"But it was just a bird" Jane shrugged.

"It was innocent, it didn't deserve to die from some stupid window" she answered, annoyed.

A smile once again spread across Jane's face.

"I was that bird. You needed to see and experience innocence. Innocence keeps you gentle, innocence keeps you faithful. You needed to see that there  _is_ life after death, that things  _can_ work out for the better"

"You're telling me you can turn into animals now?" she asked dully.

Jane chuckled, "Not in the slightest. Spirit animals are all around you, Max. You just need to know how to look for them."

Max was still unconvinced.

"What about the doe?", Jane asked, "an animal you've encountered on several occasions and the first you saw before the storm"

"I was walking through a forest, there are deer in forests you know."

"True, but why the same doe?" she asked persuasively.

"All does look the same to me" she shrugged.

"But why did you follow it?"

"I felt like it was...leading me somewhere" she replied, sounding embarrassed.

"Because it was. You needed a guide when you were lost, when it visited you in the junkyard, you needed to be reminded of who you were. You were growing jealous over Chloe's affection for Rachel, your mind and your heart were becoming clouded. You needed to be kept kind and gentle and to not be afraid to hide in the shadows when it was time to step into the light."

"And that was...you?"

"It was what you needed me to be at the time" she answered simply.

_To not be afraid to hide in the shadows when it was time to step into the light..._

"The nightmare" she muttered, recalling the horrible events that had taken place. People mocking her, hunting for her, wanting to harm her. The lighthouse was her only solace. She needed to get there, she knew she did, but she didn't know how. She wanted so badly to hide in that darkness, to block out the voices shouting her name, but something deep inside her urged her on. Now she knew what it was.

"I always thought it was Chloe" she said guiltily. Jane took notice and gently knelt in front of her, grabbing her tenderly by the shoulders.

"Chloe gave you those memories that lighted your way" she lightly shook her, "Chloe  _is_ your light. Deep down you knew that, but you were afraid to give in to those feelings."

Max looked up at her with those pale blue eyes.

"Max...there  _is_  no greater light than love. Love is patient; love is kind and envies no one. Love is never boastful, nor conceited, nor rude-"

"Never selfish" Max finished,  _"Jeez, did I just quote the Bible? Okay, Kate, I've been spending too much time with you."_

"You still looked unsure" said Jane.

"There's one thing I don't understand" Max started, "When I made the choice that I did, to pick Chloe or Arcadia, I was endangering lives when I chose her. And I knew that, I knew it was selfish, but I did it anyway and I don't regret it. I never will. If I had to do it again, I'd choose Chloe every time. You said the storm destroyed everything that was close to you, but the people I care about are still alive. If it's the same storm, why aren't I being punished too?"

"But you did save lives, Max. The bird, Kate, Alyssa more times than you or I can count. You protected those you loved, you looked after those you cared for, you took care of those you called friends when they needed you most. He did not. More than that, you couldn't have known if the storm would take the lives of anyone in town, their fate could not be determined by you. People survive storms and disasters every day. But you  _would_ have known the fate of Chloe, she  _would_  have died", Jane continued, shaking her shoulders a bit more roughly.

"In hindsight, Max, was your choice really so selfish? To  _definitely_  save the life of one person or  _maybe_  the lives of several? Believe in the light and it'll always guide you home."

Max let out a gasp of surprise, "You were his Chloe...but...why  _didn't_  he choose you?"

Jane paused and looked longingly off into the distance.

"Because he was no longer my Max" she answered sadly, "He became lost in his mind, he let it take control of him, he let fear cloud his judgement. When I found him again, he was nothing but a shell of his former self."

"So all that time you were 'guiding me'...you were... _protecting_ me...from... _myself_?

"Only long enough for Chloe to find you and break you free."

"Does she-?

Jane shook her head, "She does not know."

"And Joyce?"

"Joyce sees a stray cat mewing at her legs for scraps" she chuckled putting a hand to her mouth to cover an incoming cough, "This was the first place we met and it'll be the last. You don't need me anymore."

Jane got clumsily to her feet, and placed her hand on the hood of an old car for support. Max followed suit and outstretched a hand.

"Wait, how do you know that?" she asked despairingly.

"You've weathered the storm, Max; inside and out. You know who you are", she patiently continued, "You will no longer be able to rewind time, every action you take will be permanent, but you will know happiness as well as grief. You will experience life and accomplish many things. You will grow old and Chloe along with you and she will love you until her last breath. You've made the right choice, Max."

Jane's voice started to echo and fade. A resounding crash came from behind her and Max instinctively turned around. Chloe was scrambling through the back door, her knee slightly bleeding from banging into the wall. Max turned back to Jane, but the old woman had vanished without a trace.

"Dude, were you talking to yourself?" Chloe asked, coming to stand beside her.

Max stood silently, taking it all in.

"Uhhh, Earth to Max. You all there?" she asked, waving a hand up and down in front of her face.

Max muttered to herself, too quiet for Chloe to hear, "I never asked about the butter-"

"Max, look!"

She turned around. "-fly..."

A bright, blue butterfly, wings glistening in the sunlight landed on Chloe's shoulder.

"It looks like the same one from the photo" Chloe grinned, "Weird coincidence, huh?"

Max shook her head in disbelief and smiled. Jane was right, she didn't need to fear life anymore, she just needed to  _live_. She had her Chloe, her love, her light, her everything and she knew they'd always be together. The pain and fear from the days prior, all the torment she faced, the tears she shed, the horrible memories she thought would be forever ingrained in her head were gone; replaced by something brighter: hope. She looked down at her tattered pink t-shirt, the white doe still bright and fresh as ever and beamed.

"Yeah, weird" she smiled, as she linked her arm into Chloe's and laid her head against her shoulder.

"Wanna take a walk, partner in crime?" Chloe winked, looking down at her.

"As long as I'm with  _you_ , partner in time" she winked back with a smirk.

"Ughh, you're right, that  _does_  sound corny"

Max chuckled softly, "We'll work on it. Together."

"Always."


	3. The Proposal I

Much to Chloe's dismay and her obvious objection to searching for Warren, Max finally persuaded her that it would be the right thing to do.

_"If he flirts with you-"_

_"He's not gonna flirt with me."_

_"If he looks at you with those...those doe eyes of his-"_

_"...'doe eyes'?"_

_"When he's got that stupid look on his face staring at you like you're a goddamn statue in a museum or something! Doe eyes!"_

_"Chloe Price...are you jealous?"_

_"No" she quickly answered and looked away, crossing her arms. "But what's mine is mine and I swear to God if-" she muttered under her breath, too quiet for Max to hear._

_"What was that?"_

_"Nothing, let's go" she answered hurriedly._

* * *

Where do you start looking for one person in a town full of rubbish?

_"Dammit Warren, why didn't you just stay in the diner?"_

"Any idea where he'd go?" Chloe asked, a hint of boredom rising in her tone.

"I don't understand why he'd leave."

"To come after you, probably."

Although this was true, Max decided against telling her that.

"He's not such a bad guy, he did take the heat from Nathan."

Chloe rolled her eyes and groaned, "Two words, Max: Friend. Zone. And he's trying  _very_ hard to break free from that."

"You're insane. He likes Brooke" she shrugged.

"I'm insa-...? ...Are you kidding me? No, better question, are you  _blind_?"

"Just because he's nice to me doesn't mean he has a crush on me."

"Heeey Maximo" she mimicked, deepening her voice, "Wanna go ape with me this weekend? I totally wanna do you in the back of my car but I'm stuck in the friend zone. Would you kiss me so I can get out?" she finished, returning to her normal tone in the process.

Max stopped and sighed. "Promise me you'll be nice" she pleaded.

"No promises" Chloe smiled sweetly, "I promise not to cause him any further bodily harm...be proud of me."

Everything they passed looked exactly the same. Every building, street, crappy apartment, they were all identical now. The tornado made sure of that. Max had no idea where Warren would be, she  _believed_  he was alive, talked as if he were alive, assuming anything else felt wrong and out of place. He was Warren, he was happy and nerdy and caring and he  _had_ to be alive. He was first friend at Blackwell, the only person unafraid and unashamed to make conversation with her. He made her feel equal, didn't act like he was better than she was unlike her classmates; save for Kate. Sweet, innocent Kate. Seeing her so close to taking her own life still sent shivers down Max's spine.  _"God, I hope you're okay too, Kate. You of all people don't deserve to be in my shit."_

She hadn't seen Kate since the End of the World party, but at least they parted on good terms. Seeing her in the hospital nearly broke her heart, she didn't like thinking of her that way. The Kate who had a deep and amazing faith, the Kate who loved her little rabbit more than herself, the Kate who was shy and kind and pure; that was the Kate she remembered. If there really was a God, he'd at least keep  _her_ safe.

And even though they practically hated each other, Max thought about Victoria too. If she was smart, she'd have taken cover. But, knowing Victoria Chase she'd try to one up everyone else by taking a photo of the storm at point blank range. Max shook her head at the thought. Victoria. They had practically been enemies but she still didn't hate her, she still didn't want her to needlessly die.

The wise words of Jane Doe still ran through her mind,  _"In hindsight Max, was your choice really so selfish? To definitely save the life of one person of maybe the lives of several?"_

She couldn't focus on the 'what ifs', she had to focus on the now. Finding Warren was her priority, he was the last person she had seen. The diner wasn't that far away, he couldn't have gone far without being forced to find shelter. He was a scientist, he of all people should know the effects of bad weather.

Chloe casually picked up a rock, bounced it a few times in her hand and then threw it. It disappeared out of sight. She came across a second, this time throwing it even harder. Max watched her, following its trail as it soared through the air and came to rest on the far side of a ditch bank a few feet away, but not before emitting a muffled "Ow!"

Max heard it before she did, halting Chloe's hand as she attempted to pick up a third rock, this one slightly larger in size. Before Chloe could protest, Max darted toward the sound.

"Dude-?" Chloe began to no avail, turning about with her hand outstretched.

"Chloe, come help me!"

"Max...I'm gonna have to start charging you for that" she huffed, but nonetheless raced off to join her friend who was now venturing clumsily down the hill of the ditch bank.

"Warren?!" Max called, catching herself from a fall.

"Max?!" a voice replied, a little clearer this time, "I'm in the tunnel...I'm uh...a little stuck."

Chloe slid gracefully down the muddy embankment and dropped to her knees, peering behind Max, who was now also in the same position, into the tunnel before them but not before smiling a little on the inside as she noticed the stray rock she had thrown resting beside Warren's face.

"What are you doing in there?" Max asked.

"Well" he began embarrassingly, "I tried to run after you when you left the diner but you were already gone. You should really think about joining a track team, Max. You were gone without a trace."

"How'd you get in there?"

"I walked a little way down the road to see if I could find you again. The tornado was practically on top of me, I wouldn't have made it back to the diner so I crawled in here."

"Warren, you make straight A's in chemistry. You're a smart guy, why the hell did you follow me, what were you thinking?"

_"More importantly, how the hell did you follow me? I practically disappeared. Does he still know I could travel through time? Maybe my alternate reality is being mimicked. Chloe is alive again, but maybe everything played out like it was supposed to. Saving Chloe wouldn't have changed the tornado...I guess this is what really 'would' have happened."_

Warren's face turned a pale red, his cheeks flushing as he shyly looked away trying to avoid eye contact.

"I uh...wanted to tell you something. I didn't know if I'd get another chance."

"What?"

Warren darted his eyes to Chloe and then back to Max and hesitatingly said, "I...can't really say it right now."

Hearing this, Chloe placed her hands around Max's waist and laid her head on her hunched over back continuing to look down the tunnel.

"Hey, we're all friends here" Chloe grinned with a wink.

Warren shifted uneasily. "Can you...maybe help me out first? I've been in here for nearly an hour."

"Oh, duh" Max realized, with a shake of her head, "Sorry."

Max grabbed hold of his arms and Chloe grabbed hold of Max. Together they wriggled him free, though the lower half of his body was caked in mud. He wrung his hands through the air in an attempt to get rid of any excess then tried in vain to wipe off his shirt. He placed his hand on the back of his neck, rubbing it awkwardly.

"Heh, thanks" he finally muttered.

"Anytime" Max nodded. Sensing his uneasiness, Max pulled Chloe to the side. He continued to occasionally glance at them, his hand still on his neck.

"Duuude-" Chloe warned in protest.

"Chloe, just give me five minutes" Max replied patiently, holding up all five fingers. "Just five."

"Fine" she said quickly, as if she wasn't just previously annoyed, "I need a smoke anyway."

Max squinted at her in disbelief as Chloe casually pulled a cigarette and lighter from her jacket.

"How did you...?"

"I haf my ways" she mumbled, cigarette hanging limply from her mouth as she lit it. She blew a ring of smoke, placed the cigarette back between her lips and stuck out her tongue, "Five minutes, Maxie" she said from behind as she walked away.

Max watched her walk until she was out of earshot. When she saw her find a tree and lean against its trunk continuing to puff out trails of smoke, she knew Chloe was in her own little world again. So she started slowly back towards Warren.

"Okay" she said with a tired sigh, "talk."

"I always tried to be pretty obvious, but I guess I wasn't obvious enough" he said sadly.

_"Fuck."_

"The movies I lent you, asking you out to the Ape marathon-"

_"Shit."_

_"_ I dunno, Max, I'd hoped you'd have picked up on  _something_."

_"Here we go..."_

"I really like you, Max. As more than a friend. I didn't know if I'd ever see you again. I didn't run after you just to tell you  _this_ , I ran after you because I wanted to kiss you. It took everything I had not to in the diner, but I didn't wanna weird you out."

Max simply stared at him wide eyed, unable to speak.

_"Say something. At least blink."_

She blinked once.

_"This went a lot better in my head. How do I let him down easy? 'Warren...I'm gay.'"_

_"No. Am I gay? I'm pretty sure I am."_

_"'Warren, it's not you, it's me.' No, too cliche."_

"Max? At least say something" he pleaded.

_"'Warren, I'm not attracted to you.' Is that too harsh? ...Well I'm not"_

"Max?"

"Ahh..." Max hesitated, clearing her throat. "Warren...I've only ever seen you as a friend. I'm just not into you that way, I'm sorry" she sympathetically replied.

"Oh." He looked crestfallen and dropped his head. "That's okay, I understand."

Max wrapped a hand around her upper arm as she so often did when she was trying to avoid an awkward confrontation.

"So...you and Chloe?" he carefully began to ask.

Not wanting to rub any more salt into his wounds, Max simply replied with "Anything is possible, I guess."

"Heh, sometimes. So, since Blackwell is pretty much destroyed, what are your plans? Gonna stick around?"

"I dunno. I like to keep an open mind about things, but I don't think there's really anything left for me here. I came for the school so maybe this is a sign for me to move on."

"That's too bad" he said sadly, "Gonna really miss you, Max."

"What about you?" she asked.

"My folks have a home not too far from here so I'll probably just move back in with them until I can transfer; give me an excuse to binge on some old sci fi movies" he shyly smiled.

"Guess you'll have to start a new flash drive" she said playfully.

"Maybe I can send you a copy to your new address?"

"Sure" she smiled, "But ' _Faster, Pussy Cat! Kill! Kill!'_ better be on there."

"Don't insult me, Max" he smirked.

"When I get a new phone, I'll text you sometime. Just because I won't be here anymore doesn't mean we can't keep in touch."

"Yeah, I'd like that."

Max glanced over her shoulder. Chloe was still leaning against the tree, lost in thought, one leg stretched out with a hand on her other knee. She then glanced back to Warren

"You gonna be okay?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah" he sighed, "Could use a shower, though."

"Do you need a ride home?"

"Nah" he shook his head, "there's an emergency shelter the police department set up on the other side of town, figured I'd head down and see if anyone else from Blackwell made it there. I can get some cell service and call my folks. In the meantime, I'll try and help out, they could prolly use an extra pair of hands."

"Always the hero" she smirked.

"Hey, somebody's gotta do the job."

He noticed her shift impatiently.

"You should get back to her" he said, nodding in Chloe's direction, "She's prolly waiting for you."

"It was really good to see you again, Warren."

"Same here, Max. Maybe we'll run into each other again some day."

"Maybe so" she said hopefully.

With that, Warren carefully made his way up the embankment, giving her one last smile and a short little wave once he reached the top. Max waved back one final time before he turned and was out of sight.

So she strolled over to Chloe's tree and nudged a leg with her foot. Chloe took out her cigarette and held it between her fingers.

"Feel better?" she asked.

"Much."

"Good" she said, jumping to her feet, "because you still owe me a walk."

* * *

They walked hand in hand until the sun set, painting the sky with hues of orange and purple. Were it not for the wreckage that lay at their feet, no one would have guessed a tornado had recently ripped through that same sky. They walked past the diner, the Two Whales sign still leaned against a car, letters flickering out as they strode on.

They walked past the beach on the little outcropping where Frank used to park his RV, now of which was nowhere to be seen and likely never would be again. Even the beached whales were gone. Max didn't want to think what had become of them or what shape they were likely to be in.

They even walked past Blackwell Academy, Chloe scowling the closer they came to its courtyard; "Blackhell" she had so creatively named it. It wasn't so far from the truth anymore. Max didn't even want to look at it, but she refused to let those memories control her.

"Fuck this school" Chloe growled, spitting harshly on the ground, "You hear me now, Jefferson!? Principal Wells!?  _Fuck_  all of you!"

Max intertwined their fingers and placed her free hand on Chloe's arm, "They can't hurt us anymore, Chloe. They can't do anything."

Chloe seethed furiously, staring at the Blackwell statue. It was cracked in half and its head was no longer there. The tornado had spared no inch of Arcadia Bay. The school was in ruins, barely standing. Hundreds of old flyers littered the ground, a battered water fountain lay buried in a splintered tree, every window was completely shattered, covering the rain soaked grass in broken glass.

Max tugged at Chloe's arm and pointed toward the gym, "After all...Blackwell wasn't  _all_  bad" she snickered, pulling the blue haired woman towards what little of a door there was left.

Chloe grumbled and reluctantly followed, "Max, you're raining on my rage parade."

"You'll have plenty of time to rage later, now come on."

* * *

Max lead Chloe by the hand, and when they reached the shambled locker rooms, Chloe stopped her abruptly, "Wait-wait...girls? Or boys?" she winked, each hand pointing at the signs.

"Shut up" Max chortled.

"But Max...this is a very important question. Lives are depending on it."

"Still girls, you dumb-ass"

"Ooooh, Maxie likes it soft."

"I didn't say thaaat..." she said shyly, looking away.

"Kinky..." Chloe purred.

Max grabbed her by the hand again, Chloe all the while making kissing sounds as she was dragged through the girl's locker room and out into the pool. The water nearly came up to their ankles, but they trudged on, their feet making sloshing sounds as they waded through.

"Ta-daaa" said Max with a short twirl, arms out to the side, as she stopped just before the pool's edge. "Chloeee Priiiiiice., guess what you've won?" she boomed, her voice reverberating off the walls, holding a fist to her mouth like a fake microphone.

"A really shitty pool?" Chloe mocked excitedly, "What I've always wanted! However did you know?" she faked a giggle, bringing her hands to her cheeks.

"I do believe your diary once had a very lengthy description of a shitty pool filled with the tears of Blackwell Otters."

Chloe pretended to wipe a tear from her eye, "You do know me."

The pool was one of the few things left intact, but the water was, unsurprisingly, pretty much gone. What little left remained was contaminated with debris and chunks of ceiling plaster, broken tiles from the surrounding walls and the vast array of aquatics equipment that once lined the now seemingly smaller room.

It was hard to believe only a few days ago the two of them had been back here, sneaking in at the wee hours of nightfall to share a swim together. Chloe's hair still retained the same purple hue from the chlorine, but Max liked the way it looked. It gave her an even more creative appearance. Chloe had promised not to dye it back until they were well away from Arcadia, giving Max long enough to enjoy it while it lasted.

They hadn't really decided exactly  _where_  they were going to go. Chloe suggested Seattle.  _"I wanna see the place that you made you forget about me" she had said playfully, nudging Max in the stomach._

_"I never forgot about you. I just-"_

_"Relax, Maxine", she chided, "I forgive you."_

It would be nice to see her parents again, no telling how many times her parents had tried to call or text her. She lost her phone amidst the chaos, they were probably worried sick. And it would be nice to take a road trip with Chloe, just to be with her without worrying about anything going wrong for once.

The two of them together in Chloe's rusty old truck, enveloped in the smell of musk and cigarette smoke, just riding down an open road in the middle of the night with nothing but the headlights of a stray car to light their way. She had to smile at the thought.

And then there was Paris of course, Chloe's dream vacation since she was twelve. Max still remembered the little jar they kept on the kitchen counter to hold their savings to go. But when William died, that dream died with him. Joyce was forced to work twice as hard and Chloe began giving up on happiness altogether. Max would take her there some day. They'd sit in front of the Eiffel tower just enjoying each others silence, watching the people around them ooh and ahh at the sights and sounds and smells.

Her parents would want her to finish school, but did she really need to? She could find a small job in photography, do commission work. They could rent a small apartment in the suburbs and finally start their lives...as well as make up those years they had lost.

_"Chloe, what do you see yourself doing in five years? Any dreams you have?"_

_"Dreams?" she had scoffed, "Gettin' spiritual on me now, Max?"_

_"C'mon. Haven't you ever thought about it? I've always known I wanted to be a photographer, what about you?"_

_"Remember when we were twelve and I joked about being an artist and drawing comic books?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"It wasn't really a joke."_

_"Comic books and tattoos?" Max asked with a smile._

_"Now you're talking."_

_"And I can take pictures of all your work and promote it."_

_"Ha, we could have our own little business: Chloe + Max: Badasses of Badassness" she had said arching her hands into an invisible rainbow._

_"I love it" said Max, placing her hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle._

* * *

"Weird not seeing my step-douche here" pondered Chloe, pulling Max out of her reverie.

"You mean it's weird not having to hide from him", Max pointed, "Preeetty sure I lost brownie points for that."

"Pft, who cares?"

"He's not such a bad guy."

"We  _are_ talking about the same step-douche aren't we?"

"He did save my life."

"Yeah, and he also put me through hell, spied on my family, and kept some weird secret military-esque files on everyone from school. Paranoid, much?" she grumbled.

"He loves you, Chloe."

"Bullshit" she spat angrily.

"It's true. Before you pulled me from the nightmare, Jefferson kidnapped me and before he did that...he  _shot_  you. He tied me to a chair and drugged me and if David hadn't burst through when he had, he would have killed me. He saved my life and the first thing he asked was where  _you_  were."

Chloe's face grew sullen, her lips tightening into a frown. Max continued.

"When I told him what happened" she said quietly, "I'd never seen him so heartbroken."

"Did he say anything?" she cautiously asked.

"He wished he hadn't been so hard on you" she paused, "He wish he had told you he loved you. You and Joyce meant the world to him."

"He did make my mom happy" she answered solemnly, crossing her arms.

"Maybe when we see him again...you two can talk?"

"Baby steps, Max" she glared, "I don't wanna stay in this town any longer than we have to."

" _We?"_ Max asked with a smile, cocking her head to one side.

"Hey, where you go, I go. Hate to break it to you, Caulfield, but you're stuck with me now."

"Whatever will I do?" she sighed.

Chloe slung an arm casually around her shoulder, "Have a hella awesome life with me?"

Max kissed her tenderly on the cheek in reply.

As soon as she did, Chloe got down on one knee. Water seeped through her jeans but she didn't care. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a photo, a selfie the two of them had taken the day Max surprised her with a kiss.

Taken aback, Max covered her mouth with one hand and her heart with the other.

"Max Caulfield?" Chloe began slowly, "Will you be my girlfriend?" she smirked, handing her the photo.

"You're such a dork", Max answered, the corners of her mouth curling into a small smile.

"Well c'mon, don't leave a lady hangin'" Chloe urged.

Max pulled her to her feet and rested her hands in Chloe's palms. Leaning in, she whispered a definitive "yes" before claiming her lips.

"Sooo...Seattle?" Chloe asked, her arms now wrapped loosely around Max's waist.

"Seattle."


	4. The Departure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am still alive! Will be adding more chapters to this as well as writing some Dragon Age FF
> 
> xox

Seattle it was. They would leave the next day in Chloe's old truck and spend time on the open road. Their hands stayed locked together all the way back to the diner until Chloe chivalrously lifted the piece of plywood blocking the entrance for Max. Max rolled her eyes and smirked, patting Chloe on the butt before clambering through.

"No decency, Maxine" she jokingly scorned, shaking her head in disdain.

"You love it."

They found Joyce in the arms of David once they both made their way through. Frank and Pompidou had gone; likely to the emergency shelter. With Frank's RV nowhere to be found, there was no telling where he'd end up going. As long as he had his dog, Max figured he really didn't care.

Upon seeing Chloe, David jerked her into his arms, grasping her into a tight hug. Chloe jumped, taken aback at the unexpected gesture and glanced helplessly at Max who was merely standing there with her arms crossed and coy smile on her face. "See, I told you so" her expression said.

Joyce smiled warmly from behind, having seated herself back in the booth as her daughter tried in vain to wriggle free. Chloe hesitated then slowly but surely brought her hands around David's back, patting him awkwardly on the back of the shoulder as one would do to someone they weren't exactly sure how to console.

"Okay, big guy" Chloe stuttered.

"Chloe...I don't even know where to start" he said regrettably.

"Letting me go would be a good place" she pleaded through strangled breaths

Emotional situations weren't exactly her strong point. She was waiting for him to bark commands at her, accuse her smoking pot again or yell at her to turn her damn music down. Instead he gently drew her out at arm's length, looked her in the eyes and said "Chloe, I'm sorry I was so hard on you. I should have been a better step father to you, there was no excuse for my actions."

She looked uneasily at Max and then back to David, his eyes full of regret.

"I...wasn't exactly the easiest person to deal with" she hesitated, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Regardless, I shouldn't have done or said the things I did. I should have trusted you more. I just wanted to keep you safe, Chloe" he briefly turned his attention to Joyce, "both of you."

"I love this family" he continued, "I just sometimes have a weird way of showing it. But, I would never hurt you; either of you."

"We know that, David" Joyce answered calmly.

"Joyce, you mean the world to me. I don't know what I'd do without you" he paused, "Can you find it in your heart to ever forgive me?"

Joyce stood, with the help of Max, and laid her head against his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. She looked longingly into his dark brown eyes as he held her close.

"I forgive you, David" she answered softly, closing her eyes as she took in his familiar touch and scent. He closed his eyes with her, resting his chin on the top of her head as he shed a single tear.

"I didn't know if I'd ever see you again" he whispered, "I..."he trailed off.

"David" she whispered back, "just come home."

He hugged her close, "Nothing would make me happier."

Chloe made a gagging face at Max who gave her a scolding expression in return. David turned back to his step-daughter, an arm still wrapped around Joyce.

"Chloe..." he dithered, "will you forgive me too?"

The blue haired rebel drew a breath and then released it, "Just take care of my mom, David" she answered simply. His eyes widened in surprise, that was the first time she had ever called him by his first name. Up until that point, she never really called him anything to his face. Of course there was slew of slandering nicknames she had used behind his back, some of these he was made aware of on occasion.

However, he knew this was Chloe's way of telling him they were, in a sense, okay. He never expected to be overly close with her as she had been with William. That was impossible. He only wanted an amicable relationship where they weren't at each other's throats for once. He knew she'd probably never warm up to him but he hoped to at least show her he could be a good step father. For him, that was enough.

They spent the night in Chloe's room the night before, Max nearly passing out with exhaustion in Chloe's arms. The Price house was still in one piece. William had always been a good handyman when it came to preparing for unexpected disasters. Despite its outward, shabby exterior, the house itself was rather sturdy and sound.

A tree had fallen in the front yard, scattering limbs and a slew of leaves all over the place. Some shingles had broken free from the roof, a few coming to land in the back of Chloe's truck along with several pine cones and, surprisingly, a bird's nest. The porch railing also hung awkwardly to one side and fell over into the nearby flowerbed after Chloe had gingerly kicked it with the tip of her boot. One of the windows was also slightly cracked, but it was still in one piece at least. It was almost like the tornado had given a giant middle finger to everything and everyone in Arcadia except for Chloe and Max. The fact that her house still stood, none too worse for the wear, while everything around it was pretty much destroyed was more than just coincidence. Maybe Jane Doe was protecting them one last time in her own small way.

David had taken Joyce to a hospital out of town and despite Joyce's protestations of Chloe and Max leaving before she said goodbye, David managed to persuade her that it would be in her better interest to get her ribs mended and looked at for any further injuries. Max promised her they wouldn't set out until she got back and Chloe had sighed in agreement.

So the two them spent the night alone. Max fell asleep first, curled into a ball on Chloe's bed, the covers pulled snugly up to her face. Chloe lay beside her, tenderly running her fingers through Max's hair, now slightly damp from an earlier shower, as she gently placed a stray lock behind her ears. She smiled down at her, the woman she now called her lover. As a child, Chloe held feelings for her but at the time she was too young to understand what they actually meant. As she grew older, she merely believed it was a phase and when Max moved away, she decided it wasn't meant to be anyway. When they stayed out of contact all those years, Chloe held a resentment towards her, feeling like she no longer mattered to Max; as if their entire childhood together was just a ruse.

But as Chloe looked down upon her now cuddled up in her bed and wearing one of her favorite sleep shirts, all that was gone. It had been for a long time. She loved her, she loved her with every fiber of her being. One day she would tell her that, one day she would show her just how much.

Chloe carefully got up from the bed and tip-toed to the foot. She sat down, leaning her back against the mattress as she sat cross-legged on her cluttered floor. She pulled the box of old photos she kept towards her and quietly lifted the lid. She peered inside, barely able to see and pulled out her last photo of Rachel. "I have to let you go. I have to let 'us' go. I'm not sorry for our time together and I wish more than anything you were still alive...but I know who I love now. And it's not you."

She took one last look, let out a breath and ripped the photo in two, then four pieces, tossing the fragments into the trash. "No more reminders of the past, no more ghosts to haunt me, no more regrets."

Once they packed their bags and said goodbye to Joyce, they'd be off at sunrise to Seattle for an eight hour drive.

Chloe crept silently out the door and to her bathroom, grabbing a small toiletries bag in the process. It was highly doubtful she'd ever come back to Arcadia to stay, even if she and Max ended up splitting, she no longer wanted to call this shit-hole home. She only needed the essentials, reaching firstly for her hair dye. Coloring over the chlorine was high on her priority list once they found Max's parents, much to the brunette's disappointment for her to simply keep it that way.

"My head is not a paint palette, Maxine." she had said, "Once you go blue, nothing else will do."

"That's the gayest thing I've ever heard" Max chuckled, "I love it."

She then reached for bottles of shampoo and conditioner and a fresh box of soap. Something about using others peoples shower accessories always weirded her out, soap especially. "The last place they wash is the first place I wash...and people call 'me' crazy."

Lastly she grabbed her toothbrush and an almost empty tube of toothpaste and tossed them in as well. Despite the events over the past few hours, Chloe found herself wide awake. She had stared at the ceiling for what seemed like hours before being forced to get up and actually do something. She would have started packing a bag of clothes but she didn't want to risk waking up Max.

She leaned on the bathroom sink, running a hand over her face as she looked in the mirror. "Relax, things are okay...things are awesome. Chill the fuck out, stop thinking so much." Unlike Max, Chloe hadn't heard the comforting words of Jane Doe, not that she would have believed them anyway. Despite all she said to Max, the blue haired youth still held a bit of fear inside her. It was a coping mechanism, to put up walls when she was afraid of being hurt or losing the ones she loved. It had happened with her father, then Rachel and now she was terrified it would happen with Max too.

Max assured her nothing could be more false, but deep down she was afraid of believing her. It was almost like she was waiting for a second storm to hit out of nowhere and take away what it had spared the first time. After all, she wasn't even supposed to be here. She couldn't help but think that maybe in another alternate reality, she was being lowered into the ground somewhere. Even though Max lost her powers, she had to wonder if time still worked that way, if other realities and dimensions were still going on even as she lived out a normal life. Was that really so far-fetched anymore?

She sighed and turned off the bathroom light. Thinking and staring in the mirror was not a good combination, so she decided to try and attempt sleep a second time. She crawled into bed, spooning Max from behind. Max instinctively nuzzled closer, grabbing her hand and pulling it over her side as she laced their fingers together. Chloe smiled and held her close beginning to relax. It wasn't long after that she closed her eyes and finally fell asleep.

Two Days Later

David and Joyce had arrived back home that Saturday afternoon. She was released early after her vitals were stable and her broken bones tended to. Three of her ribs had been cracked and her wrist and collarbone both had slight fractures and other than the gash on her cheek which only required four stitches, she was otherwise okay. She spent the majority of that day passed out in bed from the pain medication. David tended to her every need when she was awake which was only for about 15 minutes at a time. He fixed her lunch, helped her up and down to the bathroom, fluffed her pillows and for a few hours, stayed curled up beside her as she rested on his chest.

Chloe decided to spend that day packing up her belongings; her favorite pair of tattered jeans, a few tank tops and flannels, a hoodie because she heard it could get hella cold in Seattle, and a few pairs of sleeping boxers among other necessities. Chloe was always one to travel light even if it meant moving to an entirely different state. She once wore the same outfit for a week straight.

The following Sunday, Joyce arrived back on Earth, now more aware of her surroundings. Chloe plopped down beside her on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, her hands crossed behind her head.

"Promise me you'll at least call when you get there?" Joyce asked quietly.

"I promise" she muttered.

"And be careful driving" she added protectively.

"Relaaaax, mom."

"After everything that's happened, I just-"

Chloe sat up and looked at her, "We'll be fine, I promise. I have Max and Max has me, we're practically unstoppable together. So don't worry so much."

"I'm your mother" she sighed, "I'm always gonna worry. Even when you're thirty years old living on your own in another city, I'll worry. It's how we're built, Chloe."

"Then come with us" she answered simply.

"We can't just up and leave, Chloe. We'd have no job, no place to stay; it's not as simple as it sounds, unfortunately. You're young, you have your whole life ahead of you. But David and I...our place is here."

"There is nothing here."

"We'll rebuild like we always do" she smiled sadly, patting her daughter on the knee.

Joyce paused, noticing Chloe's averted eyes. She could feel her daughter's concern for her even if she didn't directly show it. Chloe held things inside, kept her feelings bottled up and stored away where no one but a special few could access them. But as a mother, she could sense her hesitation.

"Chloe" she began gently, "I know we've had our differences over the years, losing your father was a terrible burden for you to bear. I should have been there for you more and for that I'm sorry. But, Chloe...I love you. And no matter how far life takes you from me, no matter what you do, no matter what you say or who you become, that will never change. You're right, there is nothing here; not for you. You were made for greater things, greater places that will challenge you to your potential. And I want you to go out there and find that...and I'll always be here waiting when you need to come back."

"Maybe...one day."

"Though I do expect a wedding invitation when that time rolls around, though it'll likely be Max that remembers to send them."

Chloe furrowed her eyebrows. Her mother took notice of this and simply laughed, "I'm not stupid, Chloe Price. Nor am I blind."

"For the love of God, mother" she groaned, covering her eyes with her hand.

"You've loved that girl since you were both twelve years old and you love her still. I see the way you look at her when you think no one else is watching. It's the same way I used to look at your father."

Chloe had never really been close to her mother growing up. Her father had been her best friend, the one she told everything to, the one that gave her advice and held her while she cried. Though she and her mother had a good relationship growing up, as soon as William died, all that went out the window. Chloe needed something to blame for his death, the easiest thing had been Joyce. She never confided in her mother, never talked about what was bothering her, never told her about her dreams and ambitions.

But now it was like she was twelve again and that innocent nature took over for a brief moment when she quietly asked, "How did you know you loved him?"

Joyce raised her eyebrows in surprise, something she hadn't done towards Chloe in years. After all the piercings, tattoos, stealing and even a little time spent in juvy, nothing really surprised her anymore. At least not until that moment.

"I felt a connection with him that I couldn't explain, I wasn't afraid to be myself around him. He loved me for me, despite all my flaws and silly insecurities. It just felt...right. Sound familiar?" she asked with a small smile.

"Something like that" she answered, embarrassingly.

"Make a life with her, Chloe. I know you've always wanted one. She's a sweet girl and I've always liked her, she brings out the best in you, always has."

Not wanting to continue this conversation into an even more awkward discussion, Chloe got up from the bed and walked to the door, her hand on the frame as stopped at the entrance. Then she paused, took a breath and turned to face her mother.

"Thanks, mom...for everything" she quietly.

"You're welcome, Chloe."

With that, Chloe left the room, feeling her mother's eyes following her until she was no longer out of sight. She grabbed her bags she placed by the front door the night before and went to retrieve Max from the kitchen. David was in the middle of trying to make a very messy omelette and Max was sitting on the counter top, trying not to laugh at his attempt to flip it in the frying pan.

"Ehh, Joyce was always the better cook" he smiled.

"It's the thought that counts" she said, "and the thought is sweet."

"Well, I appreciate that" he said with a nod.

"You ready to go?" Chloe asked, her thumb pointing back at the door once she had Max's attention.

"Yep, yep" she answered, hopping down. Noticing the tension between the two of them Max grabbed Chloe's bag and patted her on the shoulder, "I'll be in the car."

Chloe could hear a "goodbye, Joyce!" then a "goodbye, Max! Drive safe!" and finally the sound of the door clicking shut before the silence between her and David was set in place again.

She held up her hands as if in surrender, "I'm not gonna hug you, so don't get any ideas" she said quickly, "And I don't have some speech or lovey send off prepared either."

He shook his head in understanding, "That's fair."

"Promise me one thing, though" Chloe said sternly, "you look after my mother, she's all I have left."

"I swear on my life I will."

"Then that's all I need from you" she said, turning and making her way to the door.

"Chloe?" he stalled, his hand outstretched.

She turned, "What?"

"How about we part on at least a handshake?"

She sighed and grabbed his hand, firmly shaking it in unison. He nodded and loosened his grip, watching her until she turned and this time made it fully to the door, opened it and then vanished out of sight.

That was nearly seven hours ago. They sat in silence for a good majority of the trip, Max occasionally massaging the back of Chloe's neck or running her fingers against the ends of her hair.

They only had to stop for gas twice and every other rest stop they came in contact with to stretch their legs.

Now they were on the outskirts of Washington, Seattle lay only an hour away.

"We're gonna need to get new phones at some point" Chloe pointed out, "good thing my last one was shit anyway."

"No telling how many missed calls I have from my parents" Max groaned, leaning her head against the window.

"Storm of the century, guarantee everyone in the U.S knows about it now. You sure your parents aren't gonna mind me crashing with you?"

"Hey, where I go, you go. That was the plan, remember?"

"Alright, but sometimes I like to sleep in the nude and-"

Max eyed her knowingly.

"I'm just saying, if Vanessa or Ryan walk in on me in my birthday suit I gave you fair warning" she shrugged.

"Right and I bake cookies in the middle of the night drunk on vodka" she leered.

"You do? Why I don't know I about this? That sounds hella dope" she grinned.

"Ha, well the first time you sleep naked, is the first time you'll get to see it" she answered playfully.

"Max Caulfield, you comin' on to me?"

"Isn't that what girlfriends are supposed to do?"

"Yeah, but nice girlfriends would wait until I'm parked."

"So park" she purred.

Chloe eyed her hungrily and swallowed. She pulled off onto the side of the highway and put the truck in park. Max immediately unbuckled and straddled Chloe's lap as Chloe slid her seat back to make room. She placed her hands on Chloe's face eagerly waiting for her lover's touch as she claimed her lips. Chloe wrapped her hands around Max's waist, running her hands under her shirt to feel her bare skin; warm to the touch.

Chloe pulled her lips free only to move them to Max's collarbone. The brunette arched, letting out a slight moan as her lover sunk her teeth greedily into her neck. She grabbed the back of Chloe's neck, her fingers tangling in her soft blue hair as Chloe only continued to bite harder, now and then sucking her skin between her teeth as she massaged it with her tongue.

"Chloe..." she breathed, pulling her face into her hands and kissing her once more. Her tongue found its way into her mouth, caressing the sides of her cheeks and then wrapped itself around Chloe's tongue.

Chloe opened her eyes and blinked in surprise. She was pretty sure Max had never kissed anyone, especially french kissed. Yet here she was with her tongue in her mouth moving it around like a champ. She had never seen this side of Max...she liked it.

Chloe nibbled on Max's lower lip, sucking it for a few seconds before surrendering it back. At this, Max grabbed Chloe's hand, leading it down between her legs as she unbuttoned her jeans and slid it past her underwear. But before she could get to far, Chloe gently stopped her and pulled her hand back.

"Not here, Max" she said softly, "not in a truck, not for your first time."

Max blinked, "I just thought..."

"No, no, it was great. I just want our first time together to be special, and this isn't special. You deserve better than this."

Chloe wanted more than anything to take her then and there but there was a difference between lust and love. She wanted their first time to be romantic, she wanted to remember it for the rest of her life. Fucking in an old truck wasn't going to do it. It took all she had to hold back, but she loved Max enough to wait, to give her the moment she actually deserved.

Max smiled warmly, cupping Chloe's cheek in her hand. "You're sweet."

Chloe rolled her eyes and smirked, "I try."

"Guess I should get off you then" she said, buttoning her jeans back before starting to get up. Chloe grabbed her and sat her back down, pulling her close.

"Uh uh, few more minutes" she said with a wag of her finger.

Not wanting to risk getting turned on a second time, Chloe held her. Max laid her head on her lover's shoulder, as Chloe kept her close. They stayed that way in each other's arms, basking in the silence as they watched the traffic roll by. No telling when they'd get alone time again once they reached Seattle and


	5. Treasure

They arrived in Seattle shortly after noon. Chloe never actually tried to picture what Max's house must have looked like or what kind of neighborhood, if any at all, she might live in. Now, she guessed, she was about to find out. Max's parents lived just a few short minutes from the main city, situated in a quaint little back neighborhood all to its own. The houses weren't huge, but all a fairly good size and the neighborhood itself seemed...cheerful. Every lawn was neatly cut, every bush neatly trimmed, and Chloe noticed several children outside playing; some hopscotch, some with their dog, some tag or hide and seek.

"Straight out of a freakin' TV commercial" Chloe mumbled.

Max, overhearing this, simply chuckled, "What?" she asked, "It's nice."

"Kids just play in the street here?" she asked, blowing a fresh trail of smoke out the window, "what, they don't have backyards?"

"There's not a lot of traffic, the cars go really slow down here. And they do, it just adds a sense of...community."

"Community?" she asked, unconvinced.

"You'll get used to it, it'll be like when we were kids" she smiled.

"I suppose you have block parties and little festivals too?" she smirked.

Max looked away slowly in reply.

"...Oh my god, I was kidding. Freakin. TV. Commercial. Except on some major hella steroids."

"Some of them can be fun."

"Uh huh."

"Speaking of which, what's today?" Max asked, fumbling in her pocket to find her phone. She stopped and sighed when she realized it was no longer there."

"The 13th" Chloe said impressively.

"Then you're in luck, the next block party is next Saturday. Like a little pre-Halloween get together."

"And I suppose you'll be making us go, won't you?"

"You know me so well" Max smiled sweetly, bopping her lover on the nose.

"Will there be beer?" she asked hopefully.

"It's for kids...so, no."

"Already a disappointment" she grumbled.

"We'll have a good time, I promise. We can dress up, walk the streets holding hands, play some games, eat high cholesterol food and just relax. We deserve it after Arcadia. So much destruction, I just wanna forget about it for a little bit."

Chloe looked at Max and sighed, then put her free hand on the back of Max's neck, "You're right, we hella deserve it. So let's do it."

Max smiled with excitement and kissed her cheek.

"Yeah, yeah, you're welcome" Chloe smirked, running her fingers through the back of Max's hair. "Now, show me how to get to your place. I really have to pee."

They arrived in Max's driveway about ten minutes later. The Caulfield house was similar to those around it yet it had an unmistakable pale yellow exterior; her mother's favorite color. It wasn't a large house, but a rather decent size and slightly bigger than that of Chloe's. The porch had recently been swept, a small pile of leaves pooled at the bottom steps, with one or two still laying in the swing at the top. The grass, like every other house, was also freshly cut; at least what little left of it still remained green. Ryan always did like a clean front yard. "A yard is like a mullet, Max. Business in the front, party in the back.", he had always said.

The trees by her mother's flowerbed were beginning to be bare, their leaves falling in reds and oranges and yellows to rest at the foot of their trunks. Chloe noticed a white fence, gated shut, that lead to the backyard. With the uppity appearance of Max's new home, she wondered if there was a pool in the back.

"Nice house, Max" was all she could say.

"It keeps out the rain" she shrugged with a coy smile.

Her parents each had their own car, both usually stored in the garage, which was now open.

They hopped out of Chloe's old truck, slamming the door in unison.

Hearing the door slam shut, Max and Chloe heard a second door quickly open as Max's mother, Vanessa, came bounding down the steps toward them both, the door still left wide open behind her.

"Max!" she cried, pulling her into a tight hug. Now she felt Chloe's pain, feeling her mother cut off her circulation.

"Hey, mom" she struggled.

Vanessa placed her hands on her daughter's face, frantically looking her over for some kind of injury or stitches or some sign of remembrance from the storm.

"Are you alright?" she asked quickly, pulling Max back into her before she could answer.

Chloe held a hand to her mouth to hide a laugh. She thought it was sweet though, her mother worrying this much. She couldn't really blame her either, not so long ago the same had happened with Joyce...and even David, but she didn't really like to think about that.

"I'm fine, mom" Max chuckled, "I promise, all in one piece."

"Thank God" she breathed kissing her on the cheek and letting out a sigh of relief, "We were so worried, your father wanted to come get you but the news said the whole bay was under quarantine."

"Well, I'm glad he didn't. It was dangerous enough without him being on the roads."

"It was on every news station almost, said it was the worst storm in history."

"Storm of the century, heh" Chloe chimed in quietly, her hand on the back of her neck.

"Chloe! I'm so sorry, I forgot you were standing there, come here" Vanessa beamed, pulling the blue haired rebel into her arms as well, "How have you been, honey? You look so different" she smiled.

Chloe averted her eyes.

"Oh, my, good different" Vanessa assured her, "I like it. Very...artsy" she nodded.

Chloe chuckled, "Just been hangin' in there, you know me."

"I'm so sorry about your father, he was such a good man."

"Yeah, he was. But he's in a better place...and that's enough for me."

Vanessa squeezed her shoulder tenderly, her arm still hanging loosely around her daughter. Looking around, Max noticed her father wasn't present. With all the commotion, she expected him to come running out beside her mother.

"Where's dad?" Max asked.

"He's inside, doctor ordered him on bed rest for at least a week."

Max eyed her anxiously.

"He's fine" her mother said quickly, holding up a hand, "just had a small accident."

"What kind of accident?"

"He was painting the house and he fell off the ladder, dislocated his shoulder."

"Ouch" Chloe winced.

"You know how your father is, you can't tell him anything. Stubborn as a mule" she sighed, rolling her eyes. "I told him to wait for me to come out there so I could hold it for him, but he was pent on getting it done as quickly as he could."

"When was this?" Max asked.

"About four days ago, right before the storm hit. It's amazing how weather works in different areas, wasn't a cloud in the sky here all week. Speaking of which, where on Earth did you two hunker down during all that? It looked as big as the entire town."

"Outside beside a giant lighthouse that could have probably fallen on top of us at any minute."

"Basement at my place" Chloe answered confidently, "My step-dou...step-dad put it in a few years back."

"I didn't even know you could actually build a basement to an existing house."

"Take out the crawlspace and you're golden" Chloe smiled.

"At least one of us can lie decently."

"Well at least you're both safe and in one piece. You must be exhausted after that long drive, come on inside and I'll fix you something to eat."

Max perked up for a moment and grabbed Chloe by the hand, "We'll be there in a second mom, I wanna check on something first."

"I'll take your bags in" she smiled.

After her mother re-entered the house, Max lead Chloe to the fence and then into the backyard, "C'mon, I wanna show you something" she said, pushing open the gate.

Max lead them to a small patch of dirt marked by an even smaller headstone, which resembled nothing more than just a common rock. "Wait here a second" she said, entering the nearby garden shed.

A few seconds later she returned with a shovel, removed the rock and proceeded to dig. About 2 feet in, she stopped and pulled out an old and rusty tin box.

"I buried this five years ago, the first day I left you and the first day I moved into this house. I told myself I wouldn't dig it up until we were reunited again in the same place."

"What's in it?"

"Memories" she smiled, lifting the lid.

Chloe peered inside and grinned, grabbing the first thing that caught her eye, "Is this my old skateboard wheel?" she laughed, tossing the blue wheel from hand to hand.

"From your first skateboard that you broke in half trying to grind a rail" Max corrected.

"I banged up my knee pretty hella bad that day too...man I miss that board."

"You always said you were gonna teach me how to ride one one day" said Max fondly.

"And now I can...if you think you can handle it" she said with a playful nudge.

"It's a piece of wood that rolls around, how hard can it be?"

"Remember that the first time you fall" she smirked.

Max merely shook her head and smiled, pulling out the next thing she saw; two yarn crafted friendship bracelets with their initials looped inside.

"Was my idea first, Rachel."

"Remember when we made these?" Max asked, handing Chloe her bracelet.

"In your living room on your 10th birthday watching Hot Dog Man, took us forever to figure out how to wind the yard together."

"Then we were pros by the end of the day and made ones for our parents too."

"I think my mom still has that thing lying around somewhere."

"When I moved away, you gave it back to me, said you wanted our bracelets to at least be able to stay together."

"And I see they did, safe under two feet of dirt" she mocked playfully.

"Yes I think they quite enjoyed their five year slumber."

"Well slumbers over" said Chloe, slipping her bracelet on. Max followed suit.

"So what else we got?" Chloe asked, as Max took out the next item.

"A completely solved rubiks cube" she said simply, rubbing some of the peeled up stickers back into place with a finger.

"I think it took us three days to solve that thing" Chloe chuckled, "It rained for nearly a week that month, dad bet us ten bucks a piece we couldn't solve it."

"I think we even tried googling the answers" Max laughed.

"Yeah", said Chloe, "didn't help much though."

"Avast ye mighty rubiks cube, you have been vanquished" Max hoorayed, tossing the cube gingerly on the grass.

Chloe, still playing with her skateboard wheel, looked back inside. "One thing left" she said, pulling it out.

In her hands was a small metal tube with a removable cap on the end. She slid it off and pulled out a rolled up photograph from inside. As she held it between her fingers, a look of nostalgic sadness came over her and she gently rubbed the face of her father looking back at her.

"That was the last picture we took of all three of us" said Max quietly, "my dad got me the tube from his chemistry class, said it would protect anything you put in it no matter where it was buried."

"I remember that day" Chloe answered sadly, "it was two days before the accident, he made pancakes that morning after you slept over at my house. We spent all day playing outside making that stupid drawing on that piece of wood."

"Hey, that stupid drawing took talent and dedication" said Max, poking her in the arm. Chloe smiled at the thought.

"Someone should put it in an art museum."

"They should" said Max pointedly, "it is a work of art."

"No telling where it is now" Chloe frowned, "fucking storm prolly broke it into a million pieces."

"Hey" said Max gently, placing a hand on Chloe's back, "we can always make a new one. Think of it like a fresh start, out with the old, in with the new. New memories"

"Yeah" she said quietly with a small smile, "in with the new. Prolly be even more badass the second time around."

"That's the spirit."

"Sooo..." Chloe started after a short pause, "why did you bury all this stuff?"

Max looked longingly at the old rusty box and said, "because I'm a pirate and pirates bury what means the most to them. All of these things are close to my heart. This is my treasure" she answered simply.

Chloe moved to sit behind her, wrapping her arms around Max's waist as she pulled the brunette i


	6. Meet the Caulfields I

How exactly do you tell your parents that the girl you've known practically your entire life that you once called a best friend is now your girlfriend? Not that Max was afraid her parents would disapprove, (well, maybe a small part of her did), or that they'd kick her out (there was a .1% chance of that happening though), or that they would disown her as their daughter (...maybe?) but "coming out" in any sense was never the easiest thing in the world to do. Talking Kate down from the roof tied a close second.

She decided to wait until dinner when they were all seated at the same table. Saying it once would be hard enough, she didn't want to have to repeat the same story to both her parents. Max was always close to her parents, her dad a little more so. She had countless memories and photographs of them together; watching football games, going fishing or hiking, and there was that one time at the beach with the jet skis. Even still, she couldn't quite contain the tenseness she felt watching her mother set the table and her father spreading a napkin clumsily over his lap with his arm in a sling.

Chloe fiddled with her thumbs unaware of Max's plans. But Max felt she owed it to all of them. She wasn't ashamed to say she was in love with Chloe, nor was she ashamed to be seen holding her hand in public or pecking her on the cheek in front of passerby. Other couples did it, what was the difference? And she figured if she was staying under her parent's roof for awhile, they deserved to know what was going on between them. She needed a reason besides "No" every time her dad would say to her "Not hiding any boys in here, are you?" or her favorite one liner from her grandparents: "Haven't found yourself a nice boyfriend yet have you?"

"No, grandma"

"Well, you'll know when the time is right."

So did this make her...gay? She didn't feel gay, but then again what did gay exactly feel like? It must be pretty similar to feeling straight, but who knew? She still found boys attractive and she was pretty sure Chloe did too. In the end, she figured it didn't really matter all that much. She loved Chloe Price and Chloe Price just happened to be a girl.

Chloe eyed her worriedly and she could easily tell the blue haired rebel was concerned. It wasn't all that hard to tell Max was a little on edge. She spied her father peeking over at her out of the corner of her eye.

"You okay there, kiddo?" he asked with a small smile as her mother turned at the question, following her husband's gaze.

"Yeah, fine" she said quietly.

Satisfied, Vanessa turned back around with a shrug as she went to retrieve four freshly cooked chicken breasts from the oven. The smell reminded Chloe of her own mother's cooking and filled her with a sense of nostalgia.

"Smells great, Mrs. Caulfield" she said excitedly.

"Well thank you, honey" she smiled, "I hope it tastes as good as it smells."

"I'm glad you're finally home" her father chimed in, "We haven't actually cooked in about a month, been eating out at restaurants non-stop."

"We haven't cooked?" Vanessa playfully accused.

"Your mother hasn't cooked" he relinquished with a smirk.

"We never ate out" said Chloe, "unless you count the diner...which I don't."

"Well your mama was a heck of a cook anyway" said Vanessa, "She could whip up a feast from a box of cereal and some some egg yolk. I do miss her dinner dates" she answered fondly.

"Max?" Ryan asked, "You sure you're alright? You haven't said much, look a little pale too."

"Get over yourself, Max. It's not a big deal. Put a fucking smile on and carry on with your day. Hell, maybe you shouldn't tell them."

"I have to tell you two something."

"Well now you've done it."

"What's up?" he asked gently, as Vanessa set down the food and joined her husband in the seat next to him.

"Still time to save yourself, make up a lie."

"I just want to be honest with both of you. I think it's the fair and mature thing to do since you've let us move in for awhile."

"Goddammit, Caulfield."

Her parents waited for her to continue both giving her their full attention. She noticed Chloe shake her head quickly as if to say "don't do it", already knowing what she was about to say.

"If you robbed a bank, I'll pretend I didn't know. As long as you give me half" her father joked.

Vanessa put a hand on his arm, sensing her daughter's anxiety as she said "what is it, honey?"

Max took a deep breath.

"Chloe isn't my friend. She's my girlfriend and...I love her. I'm in love with her. I think part of me always has been, I just didn't know what it meant. So...we're together now and...yeah. This went a lot better in my head."

"No it didn't."

Chloe held her hands together in anticipation yet her expression remained calm as she watched the scene fold and silence envelop the kitchen. You could hear a pin drop. Her parents looked first to Max then to Chloe and then to themselves. Her father's joking expression only seconds before now dropped to a frown as he let out a breath. Her mother averted her eyes to the table as her father sighed and got up from his chair.

He made his way to the decorate dresser on the far wall of the dining room and stopped, placing his hand on the wallet that lay beside the lamp.

"Is he gonna kick me out?"

"I'm disappointed in you Max" he said quietly, "I don't know what to say."

He picked up his wallet, took out a fifty dollar bill and returned to the table where he placed it by his plate...and then slid it next to her mother.

"You cost me fifty bucks, kiddo" he said, a smile returning back to his face.

Her mother pocketed the bill with a smirk.

"...What?" Max asked flabbergasted. Chloe's eyes widened in exasperation.

"Oh we made this bet yeaaaars ago, honey. I bet your father that you'd eventually end up with Chloe and he bet me that you'd find a boyfriend. And now it seems I'm fifty bucks richer."

"Max, we don't care who you love as long as they treat with you respect and make you happy" her father said gently, "and we don't love you any less. In fact, we love you just a little bit more because you trusted us enough to tell us. But sweetie...we kind of already knew" he smiled guiltily.

"That obvious?" she winced.

"Since you were ten" he affirmed, "Though truth be told, I'm quite glad you decided to be with a girl. I don't have to chase any boys off the porch with a shotgun now. No one is ever gonna be good enough for my little girl" he looked to Chloe and pointed at her, "But you just might make the cut."

"So I take it you aren't gonna string me up by my boots and accuse me of brainwashing your daughter?" Chloe asked with a grimace.

"Nah, I'd buy you dinner first" he joked.

"So you two can relax now" her mother joined in, "There's nothing wrong with you two being together and anyone who tells you otherwise will have us to deal with. The only problem I have is figuring out what to spend your father's money on" she smiled, "Now eat your chicken."

Chloe's small bag of clothes still remained beside Max's dresser, but right now most of said clothes were strewn on the floor as the blue haired rebel went through them trying to find her sleeping boxers.

"Where the hell did I put those things?" she muttered to herself as Max lay on her bed, sprawled on her stomach with her legs in the air, smiling at her vain attempt.

"Having some trouble there?"

"Nope, got it perfectly handled" then to herself to where Max couldn't hear, "Just one pair of fucking underwear I can't fucking find in this small ass bag."

"Um, Chloe?"

"Not now, I'm on a breakthrough, I'm close I can feel it."

"Closer than you think...look down baby."

Chloe looked.

"Son of a-" she swore realizing she was already wearing them. "I'm off my game, this is what happens when I go 24 hours without getting lit."

She crawled in bed beside Max and laid on her stomach, face down in the mattress.

"Smoke free zone I'm afraid."

"mmm, hamem, mahemam"

"What?"

Chloe momentarily lifted her head, "It would only take a second" she repeated before resuming position.

"A second for you translates to roughly two hours."

She lifted her head again, "That depends on what I'm doing. If I'm smoking, yeah sounds about right. Peeing, mmm, two seconds. Showering, about an hour. Driving, could be as short as a minute depending on how bad I wanna get away from someone."

"Thanks for the breakdown" Max chuckled, "So, how long would it take for you to get away from me?"

Chloe turned to face her and said simply, "eternity."

"Pretty long time."

"Pretty hard to want to leave."

"Your nickname oughta be super-glue, how bad you're stuck with me now."

"...Max, dear. What have I said about puns?"

"They aren't...punny?" she smiled, nudging her in the shoulder. "Eh? Eh? Get it?"

Chloe groaned and buried her face on Max's back.

"You love it."

"Love you more, so suck it."

"So romantic."

"I know right? I'm such a lady-killer."

They lay in silence for a few moments before Max quietly asked, "Chloe? What are our plans now? I mean, once we move on from my parents."

"We buy a lottery ticket and strike rich?"

"I'm serious."

"You'll prolly finish school here, go to college, get into some gifted photography program and I'll work at a local tattoo shop."

"I don't really know if school is in my future anymore. I'd like to graduate but maybe college isn't really necessary to do what I want to do."

"And what do you want to do?"

"I'd like to run my own photography business, be a self starter with no debt to pay."

"Then do it."

"It's not that simple."

"Why not? People do it everyday. Find someone who's good as businessey stuff and ask em' about it."

"Yeah..."

"Hey, whatever it is we do, we'll do it together. We'll find a small place that doesn't cost that much a month and we'll work it out" said Chloe, slinging an arm over her girlfriend.

Max smiled at her confidence and enthusiasm.

"Think it'll work?"

"Psh, I know it'll work."

"Then as long as I have you, I'm not worried" she said, kissing her tenderly on the lips.

"Call me superglue."


End file.
